Sox2 marks pluripotent skin stem cells in the hair follicle
Kofi
SKPs derive from hair follicle precursors and exhibit properties of
adult dermal stem cells.
Biernaskie J, Paris M, Morozova O, Fagan BM, Marra M, Pevny L, Miller FD.
Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, ON, Canada.
Despite the remarkable regenerative capacity of mammalian skin, an adult
dermal stem cell has not yet been identified. Here, we investigated
whether skin-derived precursors (SKPs) might fulfill such a role. We
show that SKPs derive from Sox2(+) hair follicle dermal cells and that
these two cell populations are similar with regard to their
transcriptome and functional properties. Both clonal SKPs and endogenous
Sox2(+) cells induce hair morphogenesis, differentiate into dermal cell
types, and home to a hair follicle niche upon transplantation. Moreover,
hair follicle-derived SKPs self-renew, maintain their multipotency, and
serially reconstitute hair follicles. Finally, grafting experiments show
that follicle-associated dermal cells move out of their niche to
contribute cells for dermal maintenance and wound-healing. Thus, SKPs
derive from Sox2(+) follicle-associated dermal precursors and display
functional properties predicted of a dermal stem cell, contributing to
dermal maintenance, wound-healing, and hair follicle morphogenesis.
Publication Types:
* Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PMID: 19951689